Teddy
by Alohaemora
Summary: Short stories starring Teddy Lupin and his uniquely heartwarming relationships with each of the twelve Weasley grandkids.
1. Victoire: First Kiss

**I. Teddy and Victoire**

 **First Kiss**

26 December 2016

It took Teddy a full five minutes to recognize that the pounding racket in his head was not, in fact, his brain attempting to escape his skull. Rather, it was coming from outside the comfort and security of his closed eyeballs—from the front door of his tiny Wiltshire flat, to be exact. Groaning, Teddy dragged himself out of his bedcovers and began staggering down the dark hallway. "Bloody hell…Boxing Day…some of us like a lie-in…"

Running a hand through his disheveled hair, Teddy pulled open the front door—and his jaw dropped. " _Vic?_ " he gasped. "I—I thought you were in France!"

Victoire tossed her hair over her shoulder, glowering ferociously. Then, she reached into her cloak pocket and whipped out a rumpled parchment. "A _letter?_ "

Teddy's stomach dropped. "Oh—right—Vic—"

"I pour my _heart_ out to you on Christmas Eve, and you send me a _letter?_ " Victoire continued furiously, shaking the parchment under Teddy's nose.

Teddy swallowed. "Vic, I didn't know how else to—I thought you'd left for France already—"

"Do you have _any_ idea how I felt?" Victoire demanded in a strangled voice. "I tell you I _love_ you, and you say you need some time to think, and then—and then you ignore me for two days! Two _days_ , Teddy! I've spent the past forty-eight hours seriously considering skiving off my grandparents' New Year's Eve party this year because I was so _furious_ with myself for mucking up our friendship!"

Teddy gaped. "Vic, I didn't mean to—I mean, I feel the same—you didn't muck up—"

"You'd better have a bloody incredible apology up your sleeve, Teddy Lupin!" Victoire shrilled, jabbing him in the chest. "Because there is no _way_ I'll ever agree to be your girlfriend if you think a _letter_ is going to fix— _mmph_ —"

It was several, long minutes before Teddy broke the kiss and pulled away, breathing heavily, his hands still cupping Victoire's face. He gazed down at her slightly parted lips—at her deep blue eyes, filled with astonishment—and smiled.

"Happy Christmas, Vic."

* * *

Author's Note:

Hi, everyone! Welcome to this quick little side project: a series of short (350-word) stories about Teddy and each of the 12 Weasley grandkids. I actually wrote these one-shots AGES ago, for a very old challenge on HPFC called the "Connect the Weasleys" Challenge. Well, I missed writing about the NextGen kids, so I decided to spruce these stories up and publish them. :)

This first one will be familiar if you've read my story 'Thirteen Days of Christmas.' So, I'm going to go ahead and publish two chapters right now (since this one's not exactly new material). After that, updates will be daily. Hope you enjoy!

Much love,  
Ari


	2. Dominique: Rules

**II. Teddy and Dominique**

 **Rules**

24 July 2021

"I thought I saw you go outside."

Teddy jumped, looking around. Dominique was standing at the edge of the Delacours' seaside garden, arms crossed.

Teddy smiled at her. "It's a beautiful view," he murmured, gesturing out towards the sea.

Dominique chuckled, hopping down several rocks and settling down next to Teddy on the cliff. "It's not Shell Cottage," she said disparagingly. "But it's all right, I suppose."

Teddy sighed tiredly. "If it were up to Victoire and me, we'd be getting married at the Ministry."

Dominique shook her head. "Maman would kill Victoire," she reminded him. "She never got to have her big, fancy French wedding."

Teddy snorted. "My nan would kill me, too. My mum and dad eloped."

Dominique laughed. Teddy smiled, gazing out towards the Marseilles skyline. For a while, the only sound that could be heard was that of the waves lapping up against the cliffs.

Then, Dominique cleared her throat. "So, what exactly brings you outdoors at this ungodly hour?"

"I was just…thinking," Teddy said slowly.

Dominique raised her eyebrows. "Well, stop. It's against the rules for the groom to think too much before his wedding."

Teddy rolled his eyes. "You and your bloody rules."

"Hey, I'm a Quidditch player," Dominique grinned. "I'm all about rules."

"And yet, I seem to remember you blatantly disregarding them at Hogwarts," Teddy said dryly. "Breaking curfew to practice Quidditch, honestly."

Dominique didn't bat an eye. "At least I wasn't getting off with girls in broom cupboards when I was supposed to be patrolling corridors, Mr. Head Boy."

Teddy's cheeks flushed; Dominique smirked. "Your reputation precedes you, Lupin."

Shaking his head, Teddy faced the ocean again. Another comfortable silence stretched out between them, punctuated only by the gentle ebb-and-flow of the waves.

"So," said Teddy lightly, after several minutes. "D'you have any rules about marriage?"

There was a pause.

Then— "Just one," Dominique said quietly.

Teddy looked up; Dominique's eyes were blazing.

"Don't hurt her."

Teddy blinked. He had heard the words already—from Bill and Louis, Freddie and James—and yet, Dominique was the first person he believed.

"Never."


	3. Freddie: Hope

**III. Teddy and Freddie**

 **Hope**

31 August 2015

There was a knock on the Burrow's kitchen door. "Teddy?"

Teddy looked up from the carrots he was peeling for Nana Molly. Freddie was standing in the doorway, his expression uncharacteristically hesitant.

"Wotcher, Freddie," Teddy said, surprised. It was a peculiar sight to see Freddie without James—the two were all but joined at the hip. "Where's James?"

Freddie shrugged, closing the door and slinking over to the kitchen counter. "Putting gnome poop in Al's shoes."

Teddy opened his mouth to respond, but then thought better of it. Making a mental note instead to warn Albus, Teddy continued, "Are you excited for tomorrow, mate?"

It was a long-established tradition that the entire Weasley clan gather at the Burrow for dinner on the thirty-first of August, the evening before all of the school-going children departed for Hogwarts. Tomorrow would be Freddie, James, and Louis's first day.

Freddie was quiet for several moments, and Teddy frowned, setting down his knife. "Freddie?"

At last, Freddie looked up, swallowing. "I'm…not sure how I feel about being Hogwarts' second Fred Weasley," he whispered, and Teddy understood.

"Freddie, you aren't alone," he began slowly. "James is going to be Hogwarts' second James Potter, too."

Freddie thought about this for a moment. Then— "It's not the same," he mumbled.

Of course it wasn't, and Teddy knew that better than anyone. Few people thought of James Potter with anything other than fondness and admiration. It was different with Fred Weasley and Ted Tonks—the wounds were fresher. Teddy wondered when Freddie had become old enough to notice.

"Hey, Freddie," Teddy said softly. "There's no pressure on you at all—you know that, right?"

Freddie nodded. "I know," he said quickly, averting his eyes. He hesitated for a moment. Then— "I just…sometimes…I feel like Dad looks at me differently than he looks at Roxy."

Teddy patted Freddie's shoulder. "Mate, you're the future he never thought he'd have," he said quietly. "He looks at you with a lot of hope."

Freddie looked up and met Teddy's eyes, and Teddy gave him a smile. After a few moments, Freddie returned it.


	4. James: Trouble

**IV. Teddy and James**

 **Trouble**

6 September 2026

For the fourth time that afternoon, Teddy watched James crane his head around their booth at the Leaky Cauldron to eye the tall, sweet-faced blond girl behind the bar counter. Biting his lip to hide his smirk, Teddy cleared his throat. James jumped, swiveling around to stare at Teddy.

"Subtle, mate," Teddy said lightly. "How long have you fancied Alice Longbottom?"

James's face turned an impressive shade of maroon. "What?" he spluttered. "I don't _fancy_ —"

"James, I've known you since before you could talk," Teddy said in a long-suffering voice. "Don't insult my intelligence."

James glared at Teddy. "Bugger off."

Teddy raised his eyebrows, setting down his Butterbeer mug. "Fine," he shrugged, climbing to his feet. "I should get home anyway. I can't leave Vic alone too long this late in the pregnancy—"

"Hang on," James interjected. He hesitated for a moment. Then, he leaned across the table. "Let's say— _hypothetically_ —that I do fancy her. What…what do I do?"

Teddy sat back down, grinning. "Bloody hell, James—your sister's best friend? You're worse than Harry!"

"Can we focus on my question?" James demanded.

"All right, all right," Teddy sighed. "Look—I don't know much about Alice apart from what I read in her Auror application, but I know she definitely isn't someone to mess around. I mean, the fact that she's starting at the Academy tomorrow ought to tell you that."

James swallowed, glancing in the direction of the bar.

"What does she think of you?" Teddy asked curiously.

James snorted, though Teddy thought it sounded rather humorless. "She thinks I'm trouble."

"I wonder what gave her that idea," Teddy said dryly.

James rolled his eyes. He was quiet for several minutes, watching Alice serve wine to a group of witches at the bar. Then, swallowing, he looked at Teddy.

"I can't eff this up," he said in a low voice.

Teddy smiled. "You won't."

James blinked at Teddy.

Teddy drained the last few drops of Butterbeer from his tankard and leaned back in his seat. "You may be trouble, James, but I reckon you're worth it."


	5. Louis: Confused

**V. Teddy and Louis**

 **Confused**

29 October 2015

"Teddy, I'm confused."

Teddy looked up from his essay, raising his eyebrows. Eleven-year-old Louis had dropped into the chair opposite Teddy's at his library table, sporting a very troubled expression.

Frowning, Teddy pushed his essay aside and put down his quill, leaning forward. "What's the matter, Lou?"

Louis sighed heavily. "Freddie and James say that I'm not allowed to talk to you at Hogwarts because you're Head Boy and we're only ickle firsties," he said miserably. "But I _like_ talking to you, Teddy. Why does that have to change at school?"

It was with enormous effort that Teddy resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Freddie, James, and Louis had been inseparable for as long as anyone could remember, but every once in a while, Freddie and James took pleasure in double-teaming Louis—who was younger and considerably less malevolent than his best friends. For his part, Louis was also far cleverer than the other two—a Ravenclaw to boot, unlike his Gryffindor cousins—but he didn't possess the same wicked streak that Freddie and James so prized.

"You're _always_ allowed to talk to me, Louis," Teddy said firmly. "Freddie and James are just being gits."

Louis's eyes brightened. "Really? D'you promise?"

"I promise," Teddy said warmly, ruffling Louis's red hair. "I'll never, ever treat you differently in school than I do outside of it."

Louis grinned broadly. "Thanks, Teddy!" And with a swift hug, he scampered away through the aisles.

Shaking his head in amusement, Teddy turned back to the table—and gasped. His essay was gone, and in its place was a small scrap of parchment. Teddy snatched it up, eyes wide.

 _Dear Teddy,_

 _We learned Wingardium Leviosa in Charms today, and it seems to have worked quite well on your Transfiguration essay. If you would like it back, please bring three bars of Honeydukes chocolate, three boxes of Chocolate Frogs, three bags of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, and three cartons of Sugar Quills to the Gryffindor table at dinner, and we'll negotiate a trade._

 _Lots of love,  
Freddie and James_

 _P.S. Isn't Louis the greatest diversion?_


	6. Albus: Stumble

**VI. Teddy and Albus**

 **Stumble**

27 June 2020

Teddy groaned as he saw Albus—assisted by Rose—stumbling down the platform, bleeding profusely from a deep gash on his knee. Drawing his wand, Teddy hurried over.

"What did James do this time?" Teddy demanded, kneeling down in front of Albus. "He's damn lucky that I'm the one picking you lot up from the train today and not Ginny—"

"It wasn't James," Rose said quietly.

Teddy paused in the act of muttering healing incantations and looked up at Rose. "What?"

"Rose," Albus muttered. "Don't—"

"No, Al!" Rose cried, glaring at her cousin. She turned back to Teddy. "Some Slytherin troll hexed him on the train, and he won't tell me who!"

Teddy frowned at Albus. "Al, who did this?"

Albus clenched his jaw.

"Al," Teddy made his voice steelier. "I need to tell your parents—"

"No!" Albus flared up, jerking backwards. "I don't need to go running to my parents just because someone decided to have a go at me!"

Teddy closed his eyes, releasing a slow, deep breath. "Can you at least tell me why it happened?"

For the first time, Albus looked genuinely upset. He crossed his arms and turned away. Teddy looked helplessly at Rose.

Rose bit her lip. "I…I think it's because of the pure-blood bill," she whispered.

Teddy's stomach plummeted. Just the previous month, Hermione and Harry had successfully ratified a controversial bill eradicating several of the biased benefits that pure-blood wizards had enjoyed for years. Swallowing, Teddy looked at Albus again. The fourteen-year-old's face had paled, but he was still determinedly avoiding Teddy's gaze.

"Al—"

"I tripped and fell, Teddy," Albus interrupted fiercely. "Our parents fought a bloody _war_ so they could pass bills like this. I'm not going to let a stupid scratch get in their way."

Teddy's mouth fell open. But before he could say another word, Albus cut in sharply, "Look—here come James, Hugo, and Lily. Let's go."

Seizing his trunk, Albus began stumbling towards the barrier with his half-healed knee, leaving Teddy to stare after him with a bizarre mixture of exasperation and pride.


	7. Rose: Clear Skies

**VII. Teddy and Rose**

 **Clear Skies**

24 August 2025

"Hmm," Teddy said critically, walking up behind Rose and pretending to evaluate her canvas through narrowed eyes. "The leaves look a bit too…leafy."

Rose rolled her eyes, but grinned, tucking her paintbrush behind her ear and seizing Teddy in a tight hug. "When did you get here?" she asked, as she pulled back.

"Just now," Teddy responded, kissing the top of her head. "Vic and Remus are inside with Nana Molly and Grandad, if you want to say hello."

Rose smiled. "I'll join you in a bit," she promised, picking up her paintbrush again. "I need to finish this commission before sundown."

Teddy raised his eyebrows. "Who commissioned a painting of the Burrow's backyard?"

Rose snorted. "It's the apple orchard," she explained. "And it's for Mrs. Malfoy. She asked for a landscape."

"Aha," Teddy smirked. "Sucking up to the in-laws-to-be already, are we?"

Rose flushed, throwing him a withering look.

Teddy grinned. "I heard your families went out to dinner last week. How'd that go?"

Rose sighed, adding a flick of indigo to the sky. "As well as I could've hoped," she said dully. "At least I can now say for a fact that there's going to be a wedding."

Teddy smiled. "That's got to count for something."

Rose shrugged. "I suppose," she muttered, busying herself with sharpening the golden rays of the sun. "I just…never imagined having a father-in-law my parents can hardly stand to look at."

Teddy fell silent, watching her paint. For as long as he'd known her, Rose had been an artist. Perhaps it had shocked the rest of the family when brilliant, straight-O Rose Granger-Weasley had turned down a prestigious internship in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to pursue art, but it hadn't surprised Teddy in the slightest. Rose's fingernails were always coated in blues and greens…a quill or paintbrush was always tangled in her hair…Rose was the epitome of an artist—she saw everything in its rawest forms and truest colors.

"The skies look clear, Rosie," Teddy said softly. "I think the storm's passed."

Rose met his gaze. After a moment, she smiled.

* * *

Author's Note:

If anyone is curious as to how I developed these chapters, the chapter titles are the prompts I was given to work with. :)


	8. Hugo: Words

**VIII. Teddy and Hugo**

 **Words**

27 August 2025

"Hermione?" Teddy ducked out of Ron and Hermione's fireplace, holding a manila folder.

"She's at work," called a familiar voice from the kitchen. Teddy smiled, heading inside.

"Wotcher, Hugh," Teddy greeted the tall, lanky seventeen-year-old where he sat at the dining table, hunched over a scroll of parchment; a small book was propped open near his elbow. "Can you let your mum know I'm dropping off the Auror case files she requested from Corner?"

Hugo nodded without looking up from his parchment, and Teddy raised an eyebrow. "Busy?"

Hugo glanced up briefly. "Work."

Teddy eyed the book next to Hugo—a Muggle thesaurus. "What class?" Teddy asked. "In my experience, Hogwarts professors never cared too much about word choice."

Hugo shifted uncomfortably. "It's…not schoolwork."

" _Ah_ ," Teddy smirked. "A love letter?"

"What? No!" Hugo's ears went red. "It's a letter to Professor McGonagall."

Teddy snorted with laughter. "Didn't realize you felt that way about her, mate."

Hugo's ears were maroon, now. "She's my _godmother_ , Teddy."

Teddy shrugged. "Doesn't explain the thesaurus, does it?"

Hugo bit his lip, and Teddy knew he had worn the younger boy down—Hugo was rubbish with secrets.

"This isn't a…normal letter," Hugo explained slowly. "It's…a request. It needs to be perfect, every word—that's why I borrowed Mum's thesaurus."

Teddy frowned. "What—?"

"I want Minerva to help me become an Animagus," Hugo said abruptly.

Teddy gaped at Hugo.

"Animagus studies?" he breathed finally. "You're not planning on disappearing into the wild, are you?"

Hugo grinned. "I'm not disappearing," he promised. His smile faded slightly. "But…it would be nice to…escape, once in a while."

Most people, Teddy thought to himself, wouldn't recognize a difference between the two words—but Hugo was not most people: he was something of a quiet genius. His intelligence was often overshadowed by his sister's, but Teddy thought Hugo rather preferred it that way. Hugo had been born into the limelight, the son of two decorated war heroes—one of whom was now Minister for Magic—but unlike Rose, Hugo despised the attention.

Swallowing, Teddy reached out and ruffled Hugo's reddish-brown curls.

* * *

Author's Note:

Sorry for the delay with this chapter! I've been out of town.

Hugs,  
Ari


	9. Roxanne: Hide

**IX. Teddy and Roxanne**

 **Hide**

8 July 2014

"Snogging in dark corners?" Travis Armstrong, Teddy's best friend, burst out laughing, looking up from the _Daily Prophet_. "Skeeter's really outdone herself."

"Shut up, Travis," Teddy snapped, snatching the newspaper out of his friend's hand and flinging it aside. "Victoire's dad is going to murder me."

Teddy and Travis were sitting at the dining table of Harry and Ginny's tent in the Patagonian Desert, where Teddy had come to hide after he'd first read the paper that morning. Harry and Ginny's tent was what Teddy liked to call the "babysitting tent." Thanks to the vast amount of security surrounding it, it was the only family tent where Hugo, Roxanne, Lily, Molly, and Lucy—the youngest Weasley cousins—were allowed to play unsupervised. Teddy supposed none of them were really _babies_ anymore, but hanging around them still felt more like babysitting than anything else.

"No one's going to murder you," Travis rolled his eyes. "It's fake news, Teddy—no one in your family is going to believe a word."

"Yeah, maybe in _my_ family," Teddy said desperately. "But imagine all of the rumors Victoire's going to have to face when we get back to school. She's only fourteen, Trav."

Travis's expression sobered. "Damn," he said quietly. "I didn't think of that."

Teddy rubbed his eyes.

"Maybe you should talk to her."

Teddy jumped, looking up. It wasn't Travis who had spoken, but six-year-old Roxanne, from where she was playing Exploding Snap with Lily, Hugo, Molly, and Lucy on the nearby rug.

Teddy blinked. "What?"

Roxanne shrugged, shuffling the deck of cards. "You've been hiding here all morning—you haven't even seen Vic."

Teddy stared at Roxanne. It hadn't occurred to him that she—or any of the younger ones—had even heard about the article, much less understood it. But now, looking at Lily's and Hugo's expressions, Teddy quickly realized that that wasn't the case.

Slightly openmouthed, Teddy looked at Travis.

"She's going to be one hell of a witch, isn't she?" Travis muttered, watching Roxanne lay out the Exploding Snap cards.

"Tell me about it," Teddy said under his breath.


	10. Lily: Spider Web

**X. Teddy and Lily**

 **Spider Web**

20 August 2033

Teddy smiled across the backyard of Harry and Ginny's Godric's Hollow cottage, watching Lily weave and flutter between her wedding guests. It was like watching a spider spin its web—Teddy could practically see the golden thread spooling from Lily's fingertips as she moved from person to person, greeting them with bright eyes and warm hugs.

The thought stirred something in Teddy's memory.

 _"_ _Teddy!" cried seven-year-old Lily, tears streaming down her cheeks as she flew down the staircase. "Teddy, come upstairs! He's hurt!"_

 _Teddy jumped up from the sofa and raced up the stairs after Lily, his heart leaping into his throat. His mind filled with images of horrible hypotheticals_ _…_ _James dangling Albus from the balcony_ _…_ _a toxic burst of accidental magic…babysitting the Potters would never get easier, it seemed._

 _Panting, Teddy hurtled into Lily's bedroom to find her crouched on the floor beside a spider. It was lying on its back, twitching in pain—half its legs were crushed._

 _"_ _James kicked him," Lily sobbed. "Can you fix him, Teddy? Please?"_

 _Teddy closed his eyes, releasing a slow, steadying breath. Then, drawing his wand, he knelt down next to Lily._ Episkey _wouldn't work on a spider, but perhaps_ Emendo _would._

 _"_ _Why d'you care about this thing, Lils?" Teddy asked in exasperation, flicking his wand at the spider. Two of its legs straightened. "It looks horrid."_

 _"_ _He's_ not _horrid," Lily said indignantly. "And what does it matter how he looks? It's what he_ does _that's important."_

 _She pointed at her bedroom window; Teddy looked up. An enormous spider web, spanning the length of the pane, glittered majestically in the sunlight._

 _"_ _I suppose that does look nice," Teddy admitted, restoring another of the spider's legs._

 _"_ _Nice?" Lily demanded. "It's_ radiant _."_

 _Teddy raised an eyebrow. "That's a big word."_

 _Lily lifted her chin. "I'm a big girl."_

"All grown up, isn't she?" Victoire's gentle voice startled Teddy out of his reverie. He looked up to see his wife sit down next to him, holding their youngest son, Isaac, as she beamed across the garden at Lily. "She looks beautiful."

Teddy smiled. "Radiant," he said softly.


	11. Molly: Sorrow

**XI. Teddy and Molly**

 **Sorrow**

23 June 2035

"She's beautiful, Teddy," Molly said quietly, as Teddy leaned forward and gently nestled his two-week-old daughter into the cradle of Molly's arms.

Teddy beamed. "After four boys, Vic and I think she'll be a nice change."

Molly snorted. "Tell me that again after she brings home her first boyfriend, and I'll believe you." Suddenly, her face went pale and her jaw clenched. Carefully avoiding Teddy's eyes, Molly shifted little Dora in her arms. The baby girl gave a slightly disgruntled snuffle in her sleep, scrunching up her face. But then, with a contented sigh, she curled up against Molly's chest, her tiny pink nose twitching as she snored.

Teddy gazed at Molly. He had never gotten to know Molly—or her younger sister—as well as he had the rest of his godfather's nieces and nephews. Perhaps it was because they had both arrived so late; Teddy had already been in Hogwarts for a year when Lucy was born. But as Teddy watched Molly coo softly down at his daughter, he felt a lump swell in his throat. For the first time, he glimpsed a flicker of the pain and the overwhelming darkness and sorrow that the young woman had been fighting to overcome for the better part of the past several months.

Teddy swallowed heavily. Then, he cleared his throat. "Hey—Molly?"

Molly looked up. Her expression was suddenly guarded and wary. "Yeah?"

"D'you…d'you maybe want to come by for tea again tomorrow?" Teddy asked her. When Molly just stared at him, Teddy nodded at his daughter. "I think she likes you."

Molly looked down at Dora, and immediately, her eyes filled with tears. She pressed her lips together, blinking rapidly. Then, slowly, a soft smile melted across her face.

"Yeah," she whispered, after several moments. "Yeah, I'd love to come by again."

Teddy wasn't sure if it was because Molly was only a few months younger than Lily, or because he had just had a daughter of his own, but suddenly he knew that he would give a great deal to be able to fix everything for her.

* * *

Author's Note:

Fun fact: this chapter was the first one I wrote for this story. As soon as I saw the prompt, the moment formed in my head. I purposely kept this chapter a little vague, for literary reasons, but if you're interested in learning more about Molly and her struggles, you can read about them in Chapter 6 of my story 'Thirteen Days of Christmas.'

Ari


	12. Lucy: Mistake

**XII. Teddy and Lucy**

 **Mistake**

25 June 2022

Platform Nine and Three-Quarters was as suffocating as it could be on a Saturday afternoon. Teddy rubbed his forehead, deeply regretting the seventh round of Firewhisky he and his colleagues had ordered the previous evening.

In his hungover state, Teddy had almost forgotten his promise to collect James, Albus, and Lily from the station. As much as Teddy loved having Harry Potter for a godfather, it was also a pain in the arse—nobody had a better guilt trip than the Chosen One. It was impossible to sell the "because we're young" excuse to someone who'd saved the world at seventeen—

" _Ouch!_ "

"Oh—sorry, I wasn't looking—Lucy?"

Teddy blinked down at the redhead he'd just knocked over. "Wotcher, Luce," he smiled, reaching out to help her up. "How was your first year?"

Lucy shrugged, retrieving her book from the ground and hugging it to her chest. "It was good," she mumbled, not meeting Teddy's eyes.

Teddy frowned. Lucy wasn't exactly talkative, but Teddy had never seen her so morose. "Hufflepuff treating you all right?" he asked; Lucy was the first Badger in the family since Teddy himself.

Lucy stiffened. Then, at last, she looked up—and Teddy was shocked to see her face crumple.

"I made a mistake, Teddy," Lucy whispered, eyes filling with tears.

Teddy stared. "Lucy—"

"I know it was wrong!" Lucy sobbed, burying her face in her book. "I swear, I didn't _mean_ to peek at Susie Malone's exam—I just—couldn't remember the Severing Charm incantation, even though I studied it!"

Teddy sighed, kneeling down before her. "Luce—c'mon, don't cry—"

"Dad's going to be _s-so_ disappointed when I tell him!" Lucy wailed. "And P-Professor Jones is going to k-kick me out of Hufflepuff—!"

"No one's going to kick you out of Hufflepuff," Teddy promised, reaching into his pocket and producing his faded black-and-yellow handkerchief. "D'you know why?"

Lucy sniffed, accepting the handkerchief. "Wh-why?"

Teddy smiled reassuringly, all thoughts of his trivial hangover gone as he met Lucy's big, young eyes, filled with fear, guilt, and innocence. "Because you told the truth."

* * *

Author's Note:

And with this chapter, this story comes to an end! I hope you all enjoyed reading about Teddy Lupin, one of my favorite symbols of goodness in the Wizarding world :)

I'm currently working on a special one-shot that I'm going to be publishing on July 25, which will mark my sixth year on this website and my fiftieth story. In the meantime, I'll be updating 'Human Spirit,' so look out for that!

Thanks again to all of you lovely readers for the support/follows/favorites/reviews!

Love,  
Ari


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